6 months old-1 month late!

Suvi was a star for her photo shoot.

She got this lamb from mummo and ukki from New Zealand! It is so soft-she just loves it.

She can obviously sit up now-and wave. She lifts her arms to us when she wants to get picked up. She cries if we don't!

I love this shot of her playing with her sleeve. What a grown up she looks like in this outfit!

Look at those cute toes!

Next up are our Christmas photos-I still have to schedule them! Hopefully we will get them out before next year!

Additional news, I left Suvi and Markku with mummo and Ukki for 3 nights this past weekend. It was my first time leaving Suvi and the longest I left Markku. I am not sure they really missed me-they did very well! Suvi almost slept through the night one night...but has yet to do it again! Mummo and Ukki had lots of fun. One time Mummo set Suvi down on the floor in the living room. She stepped out to the garage to throw away a poopy diaper-and when she came back Suvi was gone! She ran to their bedroom assuming my dad had her, but he was in the shower. She ran back and searched again-she had crawled away and hid between the couch and chair!

She made these really extravagant cupcakes with chocolate butterflies and sunflowers on top. Markku loved them so much he pretty much refused all other food! Grandparents!

We had fun too, but I missed them a lot. We stayed with our friends Neil and Liz in NJ. Ava, their daughter, is Heikki's goddaughter. We have only met her one other time when she was about 3 weeks old. Boy has she grown! She loved Heikki so much-Uncle Hicky she called him. She wanted him to do everything for her-something only reserved for mom usually. Poor Neil! It was quite cold there compared to Texas...my body was not accustomed to that weather. Markku thinks it is too cold to go out when it is less than 60 degrees. He would have been frozen. What if we still lived in Alaska?? He would never go outside!

I am off to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with Mummo, Ukki AND Isa for a change. Hopefully we will get a new camera soon so I can get you more photo updates.

Enough about Suvi...

So I started this blog just before Suvi was born. Poor Markku-his early days are not blogged. So, after I was looking through old photos, I decided to write one about his early days...he was a cutie! The above photo has always been one of my favorites.

This was his 20 week ultrasound Dec 21 2005

May 12,2006 Markku's birthday and his happy new parents!

Doesn't Heikki look so proud and happy to be a dad?!
Markku traveled lots as a baby. He went to Washington/Oregon, Alaska, Pennsylvania and NY all before he was 5 months old!

This is his first hike in the Alaska Wilderness (Sept 2006)

Traveling in style with Isa-in downtown Anchorage

Pastor Larry baptized him. We traveled all the way to Alaska for his baptism. I loved our church, Amazing Grace Lutheran Church and our Pastor (Larry Jorgenson).

His happy grandparents in Boerne, outside of San Antonio. The one with Ukki is his first football game. He fell asleep! He had to be held all the time-so we used the baby bjorn lots! And once again he was sleeping. If I didn't remember correctly, I would think he always slept! Look at this cute yawn:

But we used to try everything to get him to sleep through the night-even swaddling! Sound familiar-I guess my kids don't like sleeping!

Mummo Laukkanen and Markku-the perfect wedding date!

First concert in Zilker park-Blues on the green (July 2006) and first dance with a bride (cousin Katri Aug 2006)

First movie Pirates of the Caribbean (July 2006) and first airline flight (in the cockpit even-Aug 2006)

First train ride (Oregon Zoo in Portland)

I just always liked this photo. I wanted him to wear everything people gave us at least once. But cousin Katri sent these outfits too late (Markku was also a big boy) so I could barely squeeze him in this when it arrived. So we took a picture right away. She also made him this awesome hat he wore in Alaska to keep warm. Boy did we laugh at first since it was 100 degrees out when it arrived in the mail!


Snow?! In Texas? Fake snow in Boerne for their Christmas fair!

Ok I could keep going on and on...and maybe another day I will. It is great to relive these memories! I am too tired tonight and we are only 6 months into his life!!

Not just another week...

One more week is over. It was an exciting week with the election of our new president (Yeah!). Markku and Suvi of course do not understand the significance, but hopefully someday when they are in college that we can afford, because Heikki and I did not go broke paying taxes and health care premiums, they will be learning about life before Obama and how worried we all were...OK just me dreaming now but at least there is a chance for those things to happen. I am not unrealistic. I know it may take the entire 8 years or longer to enact the change Obama talks about. I just now have hope it can and will happen. Just like I hope Suvi will sleep through the night someday soon. (That is not me being sarcastic. Every night when I lay down to sleep, I think, it could be tonight! Then when I hear her stir and start to cry, I think, maybe it is 6 am already. I turn and peer at the alarm clock...darn! It is only 11 pm, or 1 am or 3 am or whatever other time comes before 6 am when Suvi inevitably wakes me up!) So how many of you are saying "What a sucker she is! Look how naive?!"? I can always hope (even more than ever now that Obama won!) that someday is at least one day closer!

6 months old, Halloween and sleepless nights! Oh my!

I sit by myself!

Swinging at our park! Weeeeeee!

Suvi was 6 months old on Oct 20. She is getting to be a very big girl...19.38 pounds, 27 inches tall which put her in 95% and 90 percentile. She is sitting up, really trying hard to crawl (she gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth, pulls herself forward like she is crawling under barbed wire) and LOVES to bounce. She swings at the park and with help goes down the slide. She is eating 3 real meals a day now. She eats her rice cereal, bananas, peaches, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, apples. Markku has fed her real apples and veggie hot dogs as well-they didn't go far before I caught them and swiped her mouth clean! She is a happy content baby for the most part. Except at night....see below on sleepless nights.

Happy Halloween (see lollipop we used to bribe him?)

For Halloween, Markku was a bee and Suvi a ballerina. It took 3 parties (refused to get into costume) and bribing with lollipops to get Markku into the bee costume but he finally did it in time for trick or treating! Suvi is pretty easy to just put in her costume. She loved eating her tutu as well. Just to show how big she is, her tutu was sized at 18 months! Heikki was out of town for Halloween so mummo Frederick came up to celebrate!

Bouncing around to swan lake!

We put Suvi's tutu on Markku! He wouldn't wear the bee costume and in his leggings and shirt he looked like a male ballet dancer. He was actually kicking and screaming to get it off!

Sleepless nights are currently what is happening in our neck of the woods. As I type, Suvi is screaming her head off and resisting falling asleep. As soon as she dozes off, she jerks awake and starts screaming all over again. We started sleep training Ferber style about 12 days ago or so. The first few nights weren't too bad and I thought we were home free. But then Suvi started waking up more and more and not falling back to sleep on her own. Here was my night last Saturday:

8 pm : Suvi to bed. Fell asleep within 5 minutes of putting her to bed. Not bad...
9:15 pm: wake up, starts crying. Don't go in for 10 minutes as per Ferber...and have to get Markku out of tub, dried off, lotion on, teeth brushed, in PJs, read 2 books, and him to bed, all the while saying "hurry up, I have to go to baby! Shhh! Don't let baby know we are right here!"
9:35 pm: Suvi hysterical. Pat her on the back. She is shrieking and kicking her arms and legs.
9:37 pm: leave room almost in tears myself
9:55 pm: Suvi still shrieking. Go back in, rub her back, leave
10:05pm: still crying, getting quieter. Go in her room...starts shrieking again. Damn! leave room.
10:20pm: I think she is sleeping.
10:50 pm I am in bed.
11:50 pm: Suvi starts crying again. Leave her for 15 minutes this time...She is shrieking.
I go in and out of room every 20 minutes for 1 hour. Finally asleep again (it is 1 am).
2:00 am: awake and shrieking again. I am crying as well. Don't go in as it only seems to make her mad and I am delirious and tired.
3:15 am: I am awake and she is still crying-or if she stopped she is now awake and crying again. I am not sure as I am really tired. I go and nurse her as it is passed the 7 hours my doctor said to wait between night feedings.
3:40 am: She falls asleep in my arms but I am to wake her up so she sleeps better (are you *??!*!* kidding me????).
4:30 am: still crying.
5:00 am: still crying and I am up reading my Ferber book. It says if not working within 7 days (it is day 6 for us) then need to stop and reassess what sleeping problem is. (Yeah, no shit!). Read chapter on dependence on nursing to fall asleep. Ferber says that although a 6 month old does not need to eat at night, if they are accustomed to it it is cruel to stop cold turkey and should wean off. So first of all, Ferber who is known for being hard (many people think his methods are cruel) and letting babies cry it out, is saying that what I am doing is cruel! (I was listening to my pediatrician) Second of all, why didn't I read ALL the chapters before starting sleep training????
6 am: up for day....if you can call what we are doing as being awake!
So then I tried to gradually increase the time between night feedings. But she is still waking up every 2 hours. Now I am not to feed her and she gets hysterical and takes 1-2 hours to cry herself to sleep. But if I nurse her, then I am continuing her dependence right? Well, everyone needs sleep once in awhile. So I nurse her...Even if I nurse her now she wakes every 2 hours. Even if I let her sleep with me she wakes every 2 hours. Or worse, she wakes every hour. I hate night time right now. I think Suvi does too.

It is 9:45 pm and Suvi has cried herself to sleep (I have gone in once) after 1 hour. She went to bed at 8 pm and has already woken up once and cried for an hour! See how fun our nights are? Poor Markku. He sleeps in the room next to her. Heikki is miraculously gone 6 nights this week--how did he arrange that schedule??

Suvi's baptism

On Sunday September 28, 2008 we had Suvi baptized at our church, St. Martin's Lutheran Church. Pastor Craig baptized her for us. Suvi's sponsors ("god parents") were our friends from church-Anita and Scott. It was a really great day spent with family and friends, with the exception that Suvi was diagnosed with a really bad ear infection the Friday before and had explosive diarrhea from her antibiotics! I was so afraid her dress would get ruined. My mom had her baptism dress (yes, from 1950!) and we had to alter it slightly as it had some small holes in it, but it fit Suvi perfectly! We had another party dress for afterwards as well. It is so fun dressing up little girls! Here are some photos of our day:

Suvi's baptismal dress (Mummo Ginny's)

Pastor Craig and Suvi

Suvi, momma, Isa and Markku up front at church

Suvi's other party dress!

Markku's berry cheesecake face

And our friends and family:

Jesse, Rachel, baby Nina, Markku & Mummo Laukkanen, Kiri and Suvi

Ukki & mummo Frederick, Markku, Isa, Suvi & Momma
Mummo Laukkanen with Isa & Suvi


We had a beautiful day. We did not however get ANY photos of Scott and Anita (Suvi's sponsors). Keep in mind my camera is broken and I had to get photos from mummo's. They were all so focused on our family that we missed many of our friends! Also, I was a little consumed by Suvi's illness (ie diarrhea blowouts every 20 seconds!) and lack of sleep (she got me up every hour the night before)! We will have to get a picture at church next week! I feel really bad!

Also, Suvi has sat up all by herself! She did it Sept 24 while I was at work (of course) and now will sit by herself for several seconds! She can also get up on her knees and kind of throws herself forward-almost a crawl. She rolls every which way and gets all over the floor or her crib.

Suvi and Markku get into screaming matches for fun (their fun, not ours!). They take turns screaming back and forth! Markku loves to play with her and she she loves her jumperroo. Sometimes I hear it making so much noise I yell to Markku to stop shaking her bouncy seat-but then I hear Suvi laugh and it is her jumping to the ceiling!

Heikki goes back to work tomorrow after 40 some odd days off! It will be strange not to have him around again and I know Suvi and Markku will miss him as well. He is not too excited as he will be a first officer again. At least we get to pick his schedules and not have him on call. He should be home more often. He has been babysitting for both kids when I go to work on Wednesdays also. He is getting pretty good at it.

Lastly, I rode my bike to work yesterday and today! Finally!

5 months old (Sept 20, 2008)

5 months old

Wow! 5 months old! I can not believe how time is flying by! Suvi is such a delight and so much fun. Markku loves her so much and she really laughs for him and reaches for him and I think I have seen her hug him! I will often be yelling at Markku to be gentle!! and then I realize that although he is shaking her exersaucer so hard her head is flailing from side to side--she is laughing! What is a little brain damage as long as they are having fun, right?!

Suvi is eating new foods every 4-5 days. Now she can eat rice cereal with breast milk, peas and sweet potatoes! She eats 2 meals a day, plus still nursing. She can almost sit gorilla like but topples over if I leave her for too long. She plays with her toes and anything remotely near her goes straight into her mouth!

Anyway, I have tried and tried to figure out how to add a link to a photo website but am unsure how to do it. Someone needs to tutor me on that (hint hint all you bloggers!). But in the meantime here are some of my more recent photos (although I said I would take as many pics of my second child as my first, I admit I have not! At least we have the professional ones of Suvi!)

Markku wake boarding on Columbia river in Washington state. With Tati Kaisa on boat!

Driving tractor with Bill in Washington and Heikki and Casey before our Human Race 10K.

Hiking in our neighborhood flood/rentention pond and Markku walking Tillie (or vice versa!)

Anyways, our camera is quite old now and is not taking high quality photos so I do apologize-but at least you can vaguely see how are family is doing! I guess I know what we need for Christmas!

Here I am!

Boy oh boy have we been busy-hence no posts.

We went to Washington last week to visit my inlaws. It was fun but a busy week, with 2 days spent traveling. Markku had a great visit with his mummo Laukkanen and Bill, and his Aunt Kaisa, Uncle John and my sister, Aunt Jenn. He got to sail on 2 sail boats, ride a motor boat and a kayak and canoe! Play on the beach and pick fresh perfect blackberries off the bushes on the beach. Ride a tractor. Visit a dairy farm. Play with his Isa's (Heikki's) old trucks and cars. Take a sauna. He was so busy that 2 days he refused to leave the house and would cry "no no! House! House? Why? No water!" He flew on a plane and rode buses. He said "high sky!" and made a plane engine noise. And we didn't sweat the entire time. I did get bit by 2 mosquitoes but since we were outside on the water everyday that is not too bad. We even had to wear sweatshirts and fleece at night and in the early morning! I flew home with the kids by myself as Heikki went to Reno for the air races. It went better than expected but was so exhausting I have yet to recover 3 days later (of course I had to get right up and go to work Thursday!). Markku was so funny-he woke up early on Thursday-he was still so tired he fell fast asleep on the couch for another 1.5 hours or so! I have never seen him do that before!

Also, I have picked up an extra day at work so now I work Wed, Th, Fri and every other Sat half day. I have only worked one of these weeks so far and am exhausted at the thought of another! I need the hours to make up for Heikki's salary cut and need the time to get surgery days at work (they wanted me to work at least 3 days to have a surgery day). I hate not doing surgery-it seems silly to have all my patients treated by someone else and is certainly not good for my career. But, it is really hard to work 3 or 4 days in a row with 2 young kids and husband gone a lot. Here is how my days go:

2am: Suvi wake up call.
2:20 am: back to sleep
5 am: Suvi wake up call
5:20 am: back to sleep
If I am lucky: 6:30 am up to shower, get dressed and ready for work (including breakfast and pump time).
If unlucky: 6 am: Markku wake up, get him milk (after fighting about not having juice first thing in the am.) Set him up in front of video, then back to 6:30 am shower, etc. But much time spent talking to Markku and helping him with stuff.
If really unlucky: Suvi doesn't go back to sleep and i have to entertain her and Markku and shower and get ready for work.
7:30 am: Kiri arrives: YEAH!
7:45am: supposed to leave for work
7:52 am: finally leave for work
8am: arrive at work and if lucky start appts and go go go all morning.
1:30 pm (if lucky) home to see kids and eat lunch. Or eat on the run and stay at work.
3-6:30 pm: back at work
6:30-7 pm: home. Markku incredibly happy to see me and whiny that I have been gone and very fragile. Cries readily. Suvi smiles, then gets cranky.
6:45 pm: feed Suvi dinner
7:15 pm: Suvi bath. Markku watches TV or video to keep him occupied. Usually ignores it and tortures Tillie or Suvi.
7:45 pm: nursing Suvi and bed for Suvi
8 pm: Markku bath
8:30 Markku in PJ's. Suvi wakes up as we made too much noise in bathtub.
8:45: Suvi back to sleep. Read books to Marrku. Fight about bed. Go in and out of room 4 times saying "night night. Quiet, Suvi sleeping." Try telling a 2 year old to be quiet b/c his sister is asleep-it doesn't work very well.
9:15 pm: Collapse on couch. Eating crackers. Wait, I forgot to eat dinner. Too tired to move to cook or prepare food or even go to bed!
10 pm: either go to bed or watch the news.
11:45 pm: Suvi wake up call.
12 pm: back to bed.
2 am: see above and start all over!

It is slightly better on my off days as I can leave out the work part. Markku isn't as cranky those days since I am with him all day so he doesn't "need me" as much. But, it is exhausting taking care of two kids also (but really rewarding and worth it). Some days I can even nap for a little bit in the afternoon if both kids are asleep (rare, but it does happen).

My next challenges will be potty training and a big boy bed. I am way too exhausted to start either of these now so hopefully we can hold off for awhile. Can you imagine my night if Markku can just pop out of bed???!!!

Oh and remember my big ideas about cooking every night and riding my bike to work and running?? Yeah, they aren't happening. I am just trying to survive each day as it is, so we will see if those things can be worked back in some day. (I did run the Nike Human Race 2 weeks ago. It was fun, hot and crowded. But I did it and ran in about 10 minute miles. Not too bad!)